| George Dolenz | |
| Birth Name: | Jure Dolenc |
| Birth Date: | January 5, 1908 |
| Birth Place: | Trieste, Austria-Hungary |
| Death Place: | Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Resting Place: | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Other Names: | Giorgio Dolenz George Dolentz |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1941–1963 |
| Children: | 4, including Micky Dolenz |
| Relatives: | Ami Dolenz (granddaughter)[1] |
George Dolenz (born Jure Dolenc; akas: Giorgio Dolenz and George Dolentz; January 5, 1908 February 8, 1963) was an American film actor born in Trieste (then part of Austria-Hungary, now Italy), in the city's Slovene community.
Under the name Giorgio Dolenz (Slovene: Jure Dolenc), he emigrated to the United States via Cuba, arriving by steamship at the port of Key West, Florida, in October 1934. By 1937, Dolenz was in Hollywood and working as a waiter. After appearing in small parts in B movies, he graduated to supporting roles. Following the end of World War II, Dolenz became a leading man under contract to RKO Pictures under Howard Hughes. However, the failure of the feature film Vendetta in 1950 resulted in his return to character and supporting parts for other studios, including MGM's The Last Time I Saw Paris as the husband of Donna Reed's character.
He was cast as the star of the 1956 ITC Entertainment 39-episode television series The Count of Monte Cristo as title character Edmond Dantes.
On April 21, 1958, Dolenz played Count Peter Von Gilsa in the episode "The Outlander" of the NBC Western television series The Restless Gun.[2]
In 1959, he portrayed Colonel Gutterez in "The Town Is a Prisoner" episode of the NBC Western series Cimarron City.
Dolenz played Juan Amontillo in the 1961 episode "The Uncourageous" of the ABC Western series The Rebel. That same year, he played Ramon Ortega in the "Brand of Honesty" episode of the NBC Western series The Deputy. His last role was playing Eduard D'Arcy in the season 4 episode 20 of Bonanza titled "Marie, My Love" aired February 10, 1963.
Dolenz married actress Janelle Johnson and they had four children: actor and singer Micky Dolenz (George Michael Dolenz) of the 1960s musical band the Monkees, Gemma "Coco" Dolenz, Gina Dolenz and Debbie Dolenz. [3] Dolenz died of a heart attack in 1963 at the age of 55. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Unexpected Uncle | George, Colony Club Headwaiter | Uncredited |
| 1942 | Take a Letter, Darling | Assistant Headwaiter | Uncredited |
| 1943 | No Time for Love | Captain of Waiters | Uncredited |
| Young Ideas | Pepe | ||
| Fired Wife | Oscar Blix | ||
| The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler | Herman Marbach | ||
| She's for Me | Phil Norwin | ||
| Moonlight in Vermont | Lionel Devereau | ||
| 1944 | Resisting Enemy Interrogation | Capt. Volbricht | Uncredited |
| In Society | Count Alexis | ||
| The Climax | Amato Roselli | ||
| Bowery to Broadway | George Henshaw | ||
| Enter Arsène Lupin | Dubose | ||
| 1945 | Song of the Sarong | Kalo | |
| Easy to Look At | Antonio | ||
| The Royal Mounted Rides Again | Constable 'Frenchy' Moselle | Serial | |
| 1946 | Girl on the Spot | Leon Lorenz | |
| Idea Girl | Wilfred Potts | ||
| Night in Paradise | Frigid Ambassador | ||
| 1947 | Song of Scheherazade | Pierre, the Headwaiter | |
| 1950 | Vendetta | Lt. Orso Antonio della Rabia | |
| 1952 | My Cousin Rachel | Guido Rainaldi | |
| 1953 | Scared Stiff | Mr. Cortega | |
| Wings of the Hawk | Col. Paco Ruiz | ||
| 1954 | The Last Time I Saw Paris | Claude Matine | |
| Sign of the Pagan | Emperor Theodosius | ||
| 1955 | The Racers | Count Salem | |
| A Bullet for Joey | Dr. Carl Macklin | ||
| The Purple Mask | Marcel Cadonal | ||
| 1957 | The Sad Sack | Ali Mustapha | |
| 1958 | The Restless Gun | Peter VonGilsa | Episode "The Outlander" |
| 1959 | Timbuktu | Colonel Charles Dufort | |
| 1961 | Look in Any Window | Carlo | |
| 1962 | Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse | Gen. von Kleig |